With training camp starting this month, signs of optimism are everywhere in Ottawa.
With training camp starting this month, signs of optimism are everywhere in Ottawa.
September’s arrival is always a mixed blessing. It’s like a dinner guest you’re not that happy to see, but he always brings a bunch of great stuff to the party. September means the beginning of the end for our all-too-short Ottawa summer weather, but it also means the glorious return of NHL hockey.
Over the past week or so, Ottawa Senator players have begun drifting back into town, getting settled, and taking part in informal skates at Sensplex and Canadian Tire Centre.
On September 15th, two weeks from today, the Senators top prospects will take on the young New Jersey Devil hopefuls. That will be the first of three games in four days at the Buffalo Sabres prospects challenge. That wraps up on the 18th, training camp starts on the 21st, and then their first preseason game is September 24th at home against Dylan Gambrell and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
So, as we rip down the August page off our hilariously unfunny Marmaduke calendar, it really does feel like hockey season. And this season, according to the NHL Network’s Mike Johnson, Senator fans have every reason to be looking on the bright side.
“I want to see a new team trying to open the window,” Johnson said. “There’s been a lot of talk about Detroit and Buffalo, but I like Ottawa. They’ve had tough starts and not great goalies in the last few years. Well, (Joonas) Korpisalo was signed there. They couldn't score more than two goals on him for a month and a half in LA, so if he gives them any kind of consistency, you’ve got him in there.
“You’ve got (Vladimir) Tarasenko, noted sniper, choosing Ottawa. You have Josh Norris back and healthy, who is a former 30 goal scorer and, oh yeah, Tim Stutzle is a superstar in the making. If you don't know who he is, watch. He might get 100 points this season.”
“And, oh yeah, Jake Sanderson might be the best young defenseman under 22 in the entire NHL. The (Senators) are so loaded. A full season of Chychrun (too). If they get health, a good start, and decent goaltending, they could be the guys that make a push in the playoffs.”
Got that? Not just make the playoffs and be a first round doormat, but get there and actually make a push.
Mike Johnson – a real life Mr. Brightside – apparently thinks the Sens are coming out of their cage and they'll be doing just fine. That's music to the ears of a fan base that's been filled with jealousy, choking on the team's alibis the past six years. But it's just a price they paid. Destiny is calling them.
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